Lecture Live Blog 03.04.2008

the construction of the building out of paper is a critique of human spaces and the effect of these spaces on human interaction and condition

tea space is built according to the scale of a human (rather than scale of a car, etc..)

a notion of temporality, social arrangement, and ritual are in mind when tea houses are constructed

material dimensions of tea house connect to the context it is situated in (i.e. natural surroundings)

How has this aesthetic been translated from exteriors to modern interiors?

make buildings harmonize with their environments, even when those environments aren’t always natural

the construction of an artificial garden might be reflected in the tea shelter that it is constructed within

might use natural outside light as a means of lighting the minimalist interior surroundings

the material of wood is helps construct a warm aesthetic (particularly when paired with incoming natural light)

opposed to cold color of concrete

use of glass to pull the outside in (in a natural, bucolic setting)

achieving a natural aesthetic instead of paneling with wood

tea house geometry is incorporated throughout interior design
when you do design, you intentional intervene in the world to make it a better place and as you engage in any type of design you are acting as a critic

when you do design, you intentionally intervene in the world to make it a better place and as you engage in any type of design you are acting as a critic

to design is to critique

Experience design: is it a change in title, or is it an underlying change in methodology?

Interesting shift in the history of Western philosophy(in medias res)

Nietzsche declared “god is dead”

what he did not mean: there was once a god and it died

what he meant: there never was a god and we’re finally acknowledging it as a civilization

if it is the case that god is dead, then what is the foundation of philosophy?

Anselm declared “I believe in order to understand”

thus, believing in god was the grounds of scientific reasoning

Nietzche’s statement completely upends this perspective

Camus and the idea of the “absurd”

no god and no purpose for our existence and everything that tells us what we should and shouldn’t do no longer holds any weight

in this world, can we live ethically

can their be an atheist saint?

In HCI, we are the Camus

HCI historically has been a rationalist field

many movements over the past several years have rejected this perspective (e.g. McCarthy & Wright)